Land Opposite Dearsley Farm, Kedington Road, Sturmer, Essex, CB9 7XR

Planning appeal 3358626 at Land Opposite Dearsley Farm, Kedington Road, Sturmer, Essex, CB9 7XR (Braintree District Council) was dismissed on 5 September 2025 by Inspector Gee R, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area.

change of use from B* agricultural land under 5ha to B8 open storage (scaffold stored on 4no. wheeled trailers)

Authority: Braintree District Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: employment-industrial · Change of use
Inspector: Gee R
Postcode: CB9 7XR

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area
the effect of the proposal on the living conditions of the occupiers of nearby residential properties with particular regard to noise
whether the proposal would have an adverse impact upon highway safety
whether a suitable location
whether the scheme is acceptable in respect of flood risk
whether the requirements of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) are relevant to the proposal and, if so, whether such requirements are met

What decided it

The proposal would conflict with the development plan by introducing an unsuitable commercial use in the countryside that would harm character and appearance, with unresolved concerns over noise, highway safety, flood risk and biodiversity net gain, and limited economic benefits insufficient to outweigh these conflicts.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies: Policy LPP52Policy LPP67Policy LPP70Policy LPP1Policy LPP7Policy LPP74
National Planning Policy Framework: Paragraph 176

How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.

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The decision letter

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More decisions in Braintree District Council

The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2025

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The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.